TRIPOLI (Libya) - On the day that three teams saw their dream of making it to the BAL season 5 come to an end, there was jubilation in Tripoli for four teams.
And here's a picture of Saturday's events from Groups A and B of Road to BAL West Division.
Four-point win not enough for Mighty Barrolle
Omar Samba did everything right, leading Mighty Barrolle to a much-needed 73-69 win over Spintex Knights to try and secure one of Group B's two spots to the Elite 16 Round, but it was the Ghanaian who moved on thanks to a better point-differential than the Liberian outfit.
Samba, who played the entire game, had a 8-for-16 shooting to finish with a team-high 20 points, he also 10 rebounds, but Barrolle's carelessness with the ball, which resulted in 24 turnovers, hindered their chances of closing the game out with a larger winning-margin.
Mighty Barrolle seemed to have their Elite 16 dream secured after leading by as many as 17 points in the second half, but an abysmal final quarter saw, followed by an inspirational performance by James Amotoe helped Spintex Knights outscore the Liberian side 25-13 to stay alive.
Amotoe was a rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with a game-high 27 points and 9 rebounds. Henry Kpogo, the other Spintex Knights player to score in double digits, added 11 points.
End of the Road to BAL 2025 for Mighty Barrolle means Spintex Knights stay alive, moving on to the West Division Elite 16 Round to be held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from 5-10 November.
ABC Fighters return home undefeated
In Saturday's second game, ABC Fighters outclassed Elan Coton, winning 94-66.
It was the Fighters' third win in as many games, while the Beninese representative dropped to 1-2 to finish last in the group.
Elan Coton led by nine at some point, but in a turn of events, ABC Fighters used a 12-0 scoring run while taking a 29-point lead - their largest advantage in the game - to claim the spot of Group B and ensure their place in the Elite 16 in their backyard next month.
Côte d'Ivoire international player Nisre Zouzoua came up with a game-high 19 points off the bench while four other Fighters players scored 10 points or more.
Elan Coton's duo of Bryson Langdon and Tawadioun finished with 15 points apiece.
The loss marked the end of the Road to BAL 2025 campaign for Elan Coton.
Al Ahly Tripoli fans, the winners
Local fans showed up in numbers once again in support of their heroes, who lived up to expectations, trouncing Kriol Star 100-77.
Al Ahly Tripoli supporters ended up as the biggest winners of the tournament thanks to their tireless support.
Kriol Star guard De Angelo Stewart shot 4-for-5 from behind the arc, finishing with a team-high of 16 points; Moroccan guard Ali Lahrich brought his playmaking to the court, dishing out a tournament-high of 14 assists while scoring 4 points, but Al Ahly Tripoli's dominance in the paint proved too much for for the Cape Verdean representatives.
Local hero Mohamed Sadi led all players in scoring with 21 points; Tevin Mack added 20 and Cape Verdean Ivan Almeida contributed 15.
The Libyan champions move to Abidjan for next month's West Division Elite 16 Round while Kriol Star return home with a 0-2 mark and many positives from their trip to Libya.
Stade Malien
A large Kriol Star winning-margin over Al Ahly Tripoli on Saturday would have seen Stade Malien doing the maths to stay in contention.
However, the Malian champions' 81-76 win over Kriol 24 hours earlier did the job for Stade Malien, the only team to rest on the last day of the competition.
FIBA